Menlo Park Residents

Living in Menlo Park, California means enjoying the gorgeous weather of Northern California while benefitting from the perks of being a well-developed and affluent city. Young professionals, growing families and outdoor lovers are attracted to Menlo Park. With the majority of its 32,000 residents having an advanced degree, Menlo Park is a highly educated city with well-heeled residents. Menlo Park residents are surrounded by the San Francisco Bay, Palo Alto, Stanford, Redwood City and North Fair Oaks. Menlo Park, CA locals and visitors enjoy the close proximity to Stanford University, various sites with obscure public art and historical sites such as California’s oldest operating train station.

Home to well-known companies Google and Facebook, Menlo Park is also home to SRI International, formerly known as the Stanford Research Institute. Also making its home here is Geron Corporation, a biotechnology business focused on telomere and stem cell research. Facebook is currently Menlo Park’s largest employer with nearly 7,000 employees. Sand Hill Road is filled with impressive professional service companies including Exponent, Robert Half International and Geron. There are also an impressive number of beautiful show gardens throughout Menlo Park that are featured in Sunset Magazine.

Just 30 miles southeast of San Francisco, Menlo Park is perfect for those who want to stay at the eastern edge of San Mateo County but want to take daytrips into the city. The drive is not far away, and there are plenty of trains and shuttles to take you around and out of Menlo Park. There are two commuter shuttles offered by the City of Menlo Park that make stops along Willow and Marsh, between the Menlo Park Caltrain station and the business parks. Take the Middav Shuttle Service, a free shuttle open during the week, to downtown Menlo Park or Stanford Mall for shopping. Avid shoppers will love Nak’s Oriental Market on Chestnut Street, a highly recommended Asian market reminiscent of old-fashioned mom-and-pop shops.

Downtown Menlo Park is buzzing with young people enjoying the several cafés, bookstores, boutiques and close proximity to the library. Residents who live in downtown Menlo Park love being next to the shops, restaurants and Caltrain stations. Attractive homes with flowers and beautiful yards line the streets. Menlo Park’s only high school, Menlo-Atherton High School, is in the Sequoia Union High School District which consistently ranks high in US News’ Best High Schools.

Bayfront Park offers several bayside biking and hiking trails for tourists and locals to enjoy. There are no parking fees and the area is extremely dog friendly. Spend a morning at the 15,000-square-foot skate park at Burgess Park or catch part of the Summer Concert Series that takes place in Fremont Park each year. Sharon Park, close to the I-280 and Sand Hill Road, is the perfect spot for picnicking next to a picturesque lake surrounded by wooded landscaping. Enjoy lunch, unique gift shops and exquisite architecture at the beautiful gardens of the Allied Arts Guild on Arbor Road. There’s also a family friendly badminton club in Menlo Park.